If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

This is rather off-subject, but does anyone have any idea who (if anyone) owns the rights to the Convertors? I don't know what made me think of them. I had several back in the day, and used them (same as with Gobots or any other off-brand transforming robots) as "cannon fodder" Transformers... except for a few who were awesome, who became new super-soldiers, or those who looked like particular TF's, who were stand-ins for them.

Slingshot's also a car, and Drift is reportedly a major character (inasmuch as any piece of set dressing can be a "character" in a Michael Bay movie). You don't need to ask if Bay's screwing with fans.

Thanks to help from Bran, I was able to get Springer and Blitzwing off Amazon before my BBTS preorder came up, I tried to be patient but Hasbro delayed them over and over.

Instructions on both of them are not ideal, they do the job but don't cover vehicle to vehicle, or vehicle to robot; and have contradictory panels and mistakes from time to time.

Springer is really good, a lot of design and thought into each mode, very heroic robot, nice copter mode, car mode looks good even as tolerance issues affect panel alignment in some spots. Transformation clever, much more of a complex classic transformation than a modern "stuff explodes" one. Only thing negative about the robot mode is a lack of tilting feet, but the overall look is outstanding. A few pins not tapped in enough and some flash on the spoiler pieces, but otherwise quite decent. Big gun would be cool if the projectiles had sat in the barrels instead of dangling a millimeter in front of them, but the sword is nice and becomes a crazy huge bayonet on the gun.

Blitzwing is a mixed bag. Too ambitious of a design for this budget leads to a lot of floppy, confusing parts and elements that don't look their best (the arms just sitting on top of jet mode is a lazy design), stuff that doesn't align or hold together as well as it should, and stuff that wasted budget like the opening canopy or the spring-loaded head. At the same time, there's something charming and fun about the jet mode and the tank isn't bad (although locking the barrel from elevating is odd when the design clearly would otherwise have allowed it), and both modes get better the more you transform them and get pieces tabbed into place properly so it holds together better. The tank's rear end can essentially be covered over by the robot feet with minimal gaps which leaves it feeling less of an H tank. Robot mode looks decent, takes a lot of cues from the G1 version without forgetting the Animated version, it towers over FOC Starscream, and articulation is decent; unfortunately, the infamous shoulders damn it, they simply don't lock in (as everybody warned me), and it's entirely the design's fault, could have worked. Weapons are nice enough. Rotating faces had to be unscrewed to work at all, their design hangs and is trouble but is worth it. I like this figure more than I should, it's got a lot of charm and a few huge frustrations.

Originally Posted by El Chuxter

Yeah, but those were all exclusive club and convention repaints and the like, and I don't count them.

I found Soundblaster this morning at Target (first time in several weeks), in a pretty battered box. I really like the black color scheme, and it's a way to get another use of this sculpt (and Buzzsaw, finally) without getting a second Classics-styled Soundwave or Laserbeak. (Granted, if Soundwave hits clearance, I might get it anyway for a bird Laserbeak.)

And a special thanks to JT, who is a gentleman and a scholar. I noticed after leaving the store that the artwork showed him with what looked like G1 Prime's blaster. I opened him up to not find this gun, but see it referenced in the instructions as well. Fearing someone stole the gun (because idiots will do stuff like that--still haven't figured out why someone stole the guns out of a Silverbolt, replaced them with irrigation tubing, and returned the figure a few years ago), I had to ask about it, because my weird tendencies wouldn't let me wait until I got home to check. You rock, JT, no matter what Bel-Cam says.

Still no markdowns on the other stupid tapes. I swear, figgy, I want to know what was going on at your Target, because this is, what, two or three full months since they went on clearance there.

Glad to hear it, and that I was able to help out.

Originally Posted by figrin bran

Chux, the lone store where I found the tapes on clearance was a City Target location which has much less square footage than the average Target. As such, their inventory and product selection is less than your average Target as well. Most likely they needed that one peg to be able to stock something else.

Ah, that makes perfect sense, I'll stop looking. I am not a huge fan of City Target so far.

Originally Posted by El Chuxter

WM in Beaumont had one Springer. "Had." And "one." So he'd better live up to y'all's hype.

They also had Legends/Legions/Whatever Small Figures Are Called This Week Optimus Prime. Probably someone else, too, but I saw the $10 price tag and didn't bother looking. I had wanted Megatron just for Chopshop, but, for $10, hell no.

Glad to hear you picked him up, I don't expect you'll be disappointed.

They're called Legends but are larger than the previous "Legends" figures, closer to the "Commander" figures of today, and they come with a buddycon.

Originally Posted by Adam

That assortment was a hard pill to swallow, even though I did get all the discs. I drew the line at the new "commander" ones though. Same price as Powercore but way smaller. No thanks.

I hear ya on the new Legends figures for $10, I may give them a shot just to interact with Metroplex, and because there's nothing else out there, but it really isn't enough product to justify that price.

Originally Posted by Adam

Anyone here planning to attend Botcon next month?

I'm going to try to get a press badge and hit up Friday or Saturday. You?

Originally Posted by El Chuxter

Not me.

Big Lots has had some various pop culture t-shirts for around $5. The one in San Bernardino (on Orange Show, beside Target) had them marked down to $2.50. They were very limited on sizes, but I got a baby blue SW shirt along with a beautiful orange shirt with a line drawing of Optimus Prime (which I'd passed on before because I have too many TF shirts). Not sure if that'll be more widespread, since Big Lots seems to do clearance sales at the store level, but it still might be worth checking.

Also, I double-checked at WM. Just Legion Prime and Bumblebee. No Megatron. He's not listed on their packaging, so I'm not sure if he's out yet. (I'm kinda hoping he shares a SKU with the cassettes and shows up as they go on clearance, so I can get Chopshop for a decent price.)

Too bad about you not going to this year's Botcon, is it further than Pasadena to your place? It's in Mission Valley on the north side of San Diego this year.

Killer get on the shirt, that's a darn good price.

The Legends do share SKU with the cassettes.

Originally Posted by figrin bran

Got shipping notice from Amazon for Blitzwing + Springer and should receive them sometime this week.

Both are still in stock if any of you are still looking for them.

Rewards points from my bank can be used towards Amazon purchases now so I got both for free!!!

That is a fantastic rewards points deal, what bank is that? I gotta get me a piece of that action.

Originally Posted by El Chuxter

This is rather off-subject, but does anyone have any idea who (if anyone) owns the rights to the Convertors? I don't know what made me think of them. I had several back in the day, and used them (same as with Gobots or any other off-brand transforming robots) as "cannon fodder" Transformers... except for a few who were awesome, who became new super-soldiers, or those who looked like particular TF's, who were stand-ins for them.

Convertors were a brand by "Select" who has since disappeared. Their designs were licensed rather than in-house, just like Transformers of that era. The company is extremely difficult to find reference on due to their generic name and their closing decades ago. My guess is that without entertainment support, the rights simply evaporated, sold off for pennies to whatever companies raided them after bankruptcy or merely disappeared altogether when not actively protected.

Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.

"In Brooklyn, a castle, is where dwell I"

The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.

Didn't realize the manufacturer had such a generic name. That would explain why your post had more info than an hour of the Googler.

I also didn't realize Botcon was this month in San Diego. That's far more possible, though the weekend appears to be bad. (June is turning into something of an unreal month when it comes to the weekends.) They also didn't clearly post how much it is.

Can't speak for figgy, but Chase offers an Amazon Rewards credit card that's about as decent as any of their credit cards. (Not the biggest Chase fan in the world, but they're as good or bad as most banks.) I think American Express might allow you to use points now, too. Also, not a bank, but I get Amazon gift cards from Swagbucks, which I thought was a total scam until I realized my wife was basically getting most of her paperbacks free; I'm sure there are other sites along the same lines but I don't have time to bother with more than one.